The Lady in White
by bittersweetnolonger
Summary: Emily has taken her place as Empress. And over the course of her life, she struggles to rule a nation on the brink of civil war while a dark voice whispers prophetic nothings in her ear.
1. Prologue

It was the night before Emily's coronation. Corvo had looked grim and exhausted as he checked on her one last time before she fell asleep. Yet despite all his worry, she had seen a glimmer of love in his eyes.

"Good night, Lady Emily." He'd murmured.

"Goodnight, Corvo." She mumbled. There had been the ghost of a smile, then he'd shut off the light. There was the click of the door shutting, and Corvo had left to make sure the guards were all doing their rounds.

It felt so lonely, living in her mother's room. She didn't like it. She wanted her normal room, up on the third floor, with the lovely view of the river. But Corvo said it was tradition for the Empress to have the room with the balcony overlooking the opening hall.

She missed mother so much. She didn't talk about it, but she missed her…

_"Hello Emily."_

_"Who are you?"_

_"I am No One. But I am a friend of Corvo."_

_"You know Corvo?"_

_"Yes. And I will be your friend as well. And history will always remember you."_


	2. Chapter 1

The next day was Emily's coronation. Coronations, in the past, had been grandiose affairs filled with pomp and circumstance; leaders from all across the Isles and even some from the Pandyssian continent would arrive to celebrate the glittering event.

There was none of that. It rained heavily, the river swelled and threatened to flood the lower levels of Dunwall. In fact, the Flooded District disappeared entirely for week, records would report.

Corvo glared distrustingly at the sky, and rubbed his left hand as he reviewed the guard details. Emily sat prim and proper in her coronation dress next to him. She couldn't wait for the day to be over. The tulle lining of her dress bit into her skin and itched horribly.

"Corvo?"

"Yes, my Lady?" The Lord Protector didn't look up from the papers.

"Do you have any friends?" Corvo paused, and looked cautiously at his ward. Memories flashed before his eyes, and he answered in a low tone,

"Yes, I consider Piero a colleague. And Callista, when she was alive." Emily remembered their voices, but No One had a man's voice, so it could not be Callista. And Piero's voice was filled with anguish and exhaustion from years of study; No One's voice was young, smooth, and held a darkness to it that was beyond Emily's understanding.

"Are you sure No One isn't also your friend?" Emily asked. Corvo looked at her puzzled.

"No, my Lady." Corvo replied, then turned to face the window. Emily sighed, and picked at the golden embroidery on her gown.

From within the city, the belltower chimed high noon. Corvo turned back to Emily and offered her his arm.

"It's time, my Lady." Corvo offered Emily a small, warm smile. Emily smiled back up at him, and took his arm.

The coronation was to be held on the steps of the High Overseer's office. In the waterlock a small covered boat waited, delicately decorated with golden depictions of whales in a silver sea that glittered in the weak light inside the lock. Corvo opened the door to the cabin of the boat, and guided Emily into it. Emily could see Corvo turn to a guard, and deliver orders in low tones that spoke of thinly veiled threats. Corvo then turned and entered the boat, sitting across from Emily. Once the door clicked shut behind him, the sirens could be heard blaring as they lowered the water lock.

Emily stared down at her hands. Many bad things had happened to make sure this day would come. When Corvo had first found her in the Golden Cat, he had stank of sewers, and he shook as he had held her. He had whispered that he was glad he'd found her, and as she had clung to him for just a moment, she saw blood staining his coat.

Each time he came back to the Hound Pits, he'd been covered in more blood. She knew she should feel sad, or even afraid, but none of that had shaken her. The violence that suddenly surrounded Corvo felt right, in these times with Mother gone.

The moment when guards had swarmed the Pub, and Havelock's paranoid rage, those had been terrifying. She had stared in horror as the Admiral shot Callista in cold blood. Pendleton's jealousy, and Martin's dark stare had kept her quiet as they'd fled to the lighthouse.

She'd yelled for hours, screamed that Corvo would come for her when Havelock had locked her in that room. Then, she curled up, and in the darkest corner of her heart, felt something harden and grow cold.

People were evil, she decided. They were cruel and monstrous. Even Corvo was a monster, she'd smelled it on him whenever he'd return to the pub. But in order to survive, you needed to be a monster. You need to be cruel and cold. Mother had been so warm, and that was why she died.

The warmth of Corvo's hand startled her from her musings. She looked up and saw Corvo offer her a small smile. She moved her lips in the same shape, but it didn't feel real. Corvo looked out the window of the cabin, and Emily could see John Clavering Boulevard.

Corvo guided Emily from the boat towards a waiting car, designed in a similar fashion to the small boat. Emily stared out at the empty street. The plague had ravaged this city, and those left alive expected her to find a way to fix the gaping wound.

In days past, the city would be in a state of high celebration. Families would line the streets, young children on the shoulders of their fathers to catch a glimpse of the new leader. Young women would lean off of balconies, tossing rice and glittering paper. Cheers and shouts of joy would echo for a week throughout the streets.

Not today. Today it rained and the faint moans of weepers could be heard in the alleys. The car came to a halt in Holger's Square, and a guard stepped forward and opened the car door. Corvo stepped out, then guided Emily from the car.

Four guards stood holding a large waxed canvas tent with poles, embroidered with more whales, to keep Emily from getting soaked on the walk to the High Overseer's office. In the past, a long red velvet rug was laid out between the car and the steps of the Office, but not with with this current downpour. The City Watch stood in two long lines showing Emily's path.

Once Emily was safely out of the car, Corvo stepped back into the rain, and Emily was left alone to face the long walk up to the Office. She could barely make out where the shape of the new High Overseer, a man by the name of Yandry, stood waiting through the rain. She took a breath, and walked forward. The four guards moved with her, making sure she remained dry. A pouch of dried flowers hung from the underside of the canvas, perfuming Emily's walk.

She wished Corvo could walk with her. It would have made her feel better. But Corvo had told her he had to stay back and watch from a distance, to make sure she was safe.

Her gown felt so heavy in the damp air, and she struggled not to trip in her shoes. She had never had to wear such tall shoes before, and she didn't know how to balance in them. On top of that, they pinched her toes.

The desire to rip off the dress was strong. But Corvo would be hurt. He had looked at her with pride as she had stepped out of her room in the coronation gown.

Emily began ascending the steps of the High Overseer's office. The sound of thunder rolled through Holger's square, and Emily briefly thought she heard someone yell through the storm. The heel of one of her shoes caught on a step, and Emily tottered and almost fell over. At the last minute, she felt strong hands grab and set her squarely on the next step, and then disappear in a faint rush of wind. Emily never saw who had caught her.

Yandry stood at the top, and stared down at her. He had a sad face; his mouth constantly trembled as if in quiet sobs and his eyes watered. His thinning gray hair hung in limp threads across his skull. For only a man of fifty, he was thin and his skin hung too loose on his bones much like a starved rat. The ceremonial uniform the High Overseer wore for coronations was pinned to his shoulders, and yet it was still falling off.

He began to speak the words of induction to office. Grand words that spoke of the rich history of the empire, but his voice did the words no justice. Yandry spoke in a weak, high pitched voice and slurred over his words, but it was due to no brandy.

The crown sat on a large black velvet cushion next to Yandry, along with the original tome of the Strictures. Yandry lifted the crown, a tall glittering monstrosity lined with diamonds and massive pearls and placed it gently on Emily's head. Emily almost gasped and took a balancing step – the crown was heavy. Too heavy for a young child to wear.

"And now the Strictures!" Yandry cried feebly. Emily closed her eyes in faux reverence.

_"Restrict the wandering gaze that looks hither and yonder…" _Emily surpressed a sigh of frustration. The strictures were long and tedious, and she had never understood the strength people found in the words.

_"A man whose gaze is corrupted is like a warped mirror…" _Through the rain, Emily heard shouting.

_"… fix your eyes to what is edifying…" _The clash of blade on blade rung faintly.

_"… you will be able to recognize the profane monuments of the Outsider." _The crack of a gunshot.

Yandry gasped and swallowed. He did not finish reciting the Strictures. He placed his hands on Emily shoulders and cried, "I name thee Empress Emily of the Isles!"

Corvo was there suddenly. He had his sword drawn, and had his other hand on Emily's back. He ushered her into the Overseer's office, and once they were inside he was ushering her down a staircase, through the kennels, and suddenly they were in the slums behind the Overseer's office.

"Corvo?" Emily's voice was small. She was baffled. What was going on out in Holger's Sqaure?

"Not now, Emily." Corvo's voice was rougher than normal. He sheathed his sword as they ran, then wrapped his right arm around her and then suddenly, _whoosh_. How did they get up on the roof? _Whoosh._ Where was here? _Whoosh._ How did they get to the river?

Somehow, Samuel was there. Kind, shy Samuel. He looked up at Corvo, and his eyes were hard with some understanding. Corvo picked Emily up by the waist, and set her down unceremoniously in Samuel's little dingy. She saw Samuel wince as the hem of her skirt was soaked by filthy river water. Corvo jumped in after her and the dingy rocked from the weight.

"Hurry, Samuel." Corvo spoke quietly. Samuel nodded, and the engine of the boat revved as the three rushed into the downpour.


	3. Chapter 2

**Yo! The Author has finally appeared. This story, up to this chapter, has already been published on my tumblr. Chapters after this will take much longer to appear. However- you can speed up the process by reviewing! That way I know people are taking an active interest, and it'll encourage me to keep trucking. Chapters will generally be short due to my shit attention span, but I'm working on lengthening chapters for your reading pleasure!**

**Also, a reviewer asked what the Outsider wants with Emily? Obviously, he wants entertainment. And what's more interesting than a 12(?) year old Empress whose bodyguard killed half of Dunwall to make sure she sits the throne. Because this is obviously high chaos aftermath.**

**Thanks guys! -K**

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><p>The stormy river rocked the dingy as they rumbled along. Corvo had redrawn his sword and was glancing over his shoulders, glaring hard through the rain.<p>

"You see anything, Corvo?" Samuel asked.

"No. Take the boat a little farther out on the river, Samuel." Corvo ordered.

"I take it out too much farther and the current will be more than the motor can handle." Samuel warned, but did as Corvo said. Emily shivered, and stared over Corvo's shoulder at the distant shoreline. Through the rain, she could just make out buildings on the shore.

Corvo tightened his grip on his sword.

"Samuel, go faster." He urged. The fisherman revved the engine a bit, and the boat accelerated a little. Corvo grimaced, it was obviously not as fast as he desired.

"They're coming Samuel. Can't we go any faster?" Corvo asked. Samuel frowned.

"There's too much weight in this thing. Any faster and we'll run out of whale oil and be stranded in the river." Samuel replied darkly. Corvo sighed, frustration making the sound rough and dark.

"Who's coming?" Emily asked. Corvo glanced at her.

"No one, my Lady. Don't worry." Emily's brow furrowed.

_No One? No One said he was a friend. So why are we running away?_

_Unless it's the people who killed mother._

Emily felt fear and anger quicken her heartbeat. She glanced down at her lap and gripped her skirts. By now she was completely soaked, and shivers were starting to wrack her body. With her gown soaked, she could see the tint of her skin through the fabric, and it clung to every inch of her with desperate tenacity. Rain water ran down her race in thick rivers and dripped off onto her gloved hands.

"We'll be out of the rain soon, my Lady." Samuel assured from behind Corvo. Corvo just now seemed to be aware of Emily's chilled state. Concern softened his features, and regret pierced his heart for not noticing.

He shrugged out of his coat. Military uniforms were coated in beeswax to be water resistant, so he was fairly dry. Corvo draped his coat over Emily's shoulders and wrapped her tightly in it.

"Forgive me, my Lady. I should have given you my coat as soon as we were on the river." He murmured sadly. Emily slid her arms into the too-long sleeves and wrapped her arms around herself.

"I-it's o-ok." Emily stuttered. Corvo's hurt deepened.

"What exactly happened, Corvo?" Samuel asked. Corvo shook his head.

"I'd heard whispers that some wouldn't tolerate Emily being put on the throne. Those whispers were apparently true."

"I thought that kind of nonsense had ended with the insurrection." Samuel commented. Corvo's eyes grew dark with a violent emotion as he spoke, "Many people blame Lady Jessamine for what happened to Dunwall."

Samuel frowned at what this implied, and despite her shivering, Emily's body grew hot with anger.

How dare people blame mother. How dare they. It had never been her fault. It had been Mr. Burrows who brought the plague. He'd destroyed Dunwall. Him!

Emily sat fuming like this for a while. Corvo's eyes were glued to the shoreline, watching for phantom attackers through the rain, and didn't notice Emily's angry state. Samuel was focused on piloting the boat, but his gaze often came onto Emily and a look of sadness came over him everytime he glanced at her.

With the torrential rain, Samuel barely saw the Tower appear. Until he was directly in front of the waterlock gate, the Tower was nothing more another dark shadow against the shore. Corvo shouted out for someone to raise the gate in name of the Empress, and a clap of thunder rang out just as the siren started.

Emily looked up dazed when she no longer felt the drumming of the rain. People started yelling as they recognized the waterlogged Lord Protector and now Empress.

"Lord Corvo! What happened?" One panicked soldier questioned as they finally reached the top of the lock.

"I will explain everything later. First I am going to escort Lady Emily to her chambers. In the meantime, I want the entire Tower locked down. No one in or out, understood?" Corvo declared in a loud voice. Every guard and soldier came to attention and saluted Corvo.

"Yessir!" Was the unanimous response. Then the lock and the garden turned to frenzy as men bustled, preparing for the lockdown. Corvo placed his hand on the small of Emily's back, then unceremoniously pushed her forward as he started to run. Emily gasped at the push and tripped slightly.

_These wretched shoes are impossible to move in! I'm never going to wear heels after this!_

Guards did not bother to bow or salute as they ran through the yard to the large main doors of Dunwall Tower. Their primary concern was to make the Tower safe until the Lord Protector gave the all-clear.

The doors thudded behind Emily ominously as she and Corvo finally entered Dunwall Tower. Emily thought she might get a chance to breathe now that they were inside, but Corvo didn't stop running, forcing Emily to run as well.

As they entered the main hall, Corvo glanced around. Then he wrapped his arm around her waist as he had behind Holger Square. There was a faint rushing sound in Emily's ears, then they were on the balcony outside of Mother's room.

A maid was there with dry clothes, and another maid stood next to her. They looked bewildered at Corvo and Emily's sudden appearance on the balcony. Corvo placed his hands on Emily's shoulders and looked down at her.

"Emily, I'm going to patrol the Tower. I must ask that you do not leave this room until I say it's safe." He said quietly.

"Corvo, what's going on? What happened at the ceremony? I don't understand. What's going on?" She repeated. Corvo's brow furrowed, and he placed a hand on her cheek. His palm covered almost covered half her face, and he smelled of the river. Beneath that was the warmer smell that was undeniably Corvo- of sweat and steel.

"I cannot say anything yet. My suspicions are unconfirmed. I need to investigate. But I need you to be here, where I know you're safe. Please, Emily, just stay here." Corvo said. Emily stared at him, then lowered her eyes in defeat. "Fine," she mumbled. Corvo exhaled heavily in relief, then kissed her forehead.

"Thank you, Emily." He said, then turned and walked back to the balcony. He jumped over the railing to the floor below and the two maids gasped in horror. They quickly stifled their shock and focused on Emily.

"Come, my Lady. Let us get you out of that wet dress and into something dry. I just brought this from the washing room, it's nice and warm and you must be chilled to the bone!" The maid with the clothes declared with a smile. Emily nodded, and the two women stepped forward. The maid with the dry clothes placed them on the bed as the other maid worked to wrestle the buttons down the back of her gown through the wet buttonholes. She grunted in frustration at the dripping fabric's lack of cooperation.

"I swear, the seamstress who made this couldn't have made it anymore difficult." The maid complained. The other frowned and stepped forward.

"Liz, you said that this morning when you helped the Lady into the thing. Here, you fetch a hanger or something, I'll undress the Lady." The maid said. Liz huffed behind Emily, and left the room. The unnamed maid moved behind Emily, and Emily felt some tugging, then the dress felt looser around her shoulders.

It still took the maid about two minutes to work enough buttons free for Emily to finally shrug out of the gown. Emily felt the sudden heat of the room brush against her skin, and it felt divine. The maid gathered up the gown and draped it over a chair. Liz returned with a very strong looking hanger. The unnamed maid addressed Liz as she fetched the dry clothes from the bed.

"Liz, please take the dress down to the washing room. We need to find some way to clean and restore it." The maid ordered. Liz huffed again, hung the dress on the hanger, drapped it over her arm, and once again left.

"My Lady, I should actually fetch a towel and dry you off first." The maid said. Emily walked across the room and said, "Please no. I'm honestly tired and want to rest. Clothes of any kind feel like too much effort." The maid smiled understandingly.

"Very well, my Lady. I will place some bedclothes on the nightstand for you, and get a fire started. I would hate for you to catch a cold. You may leave your wet underthings on the chair there, and I will take them to the washing room as well. Rest well, my Lady." The maid said. Emily nodded. She wrestled out of her undergarments and tossed them on the chair. The maid pulled down a corner of the comforter for Emily to crawl under.

The sheets were warm and soft, and the comforter thick and heavy with a velvet lining, guaranteed to keep her warm. Her pillows were stuffed with the highest quality goosedown, and Emily was asleep before the maid had finished tucking her in.

_"Hello again Emily. Emily the Empress, you are now."_

_"You lied. Corvo said you're not his friend."_

_"That is because to Corvo, I go by another name."_

_"You have multiple names?"_

_"Indeed. But I am, most importantly, nothing at all."_

_"That's ridiculous. How can you be nothing? I see you right there. You're real. You can't be nothing if you're real. And how did you know I'm the Empress? That just happened!"_

_"Because I was watching. I find you very interesting, Emily."_

_"If you were watching, did you see what happened? The reason why the ceremony was cut short?"_

_"Oh, I cannot tell you that. That would make things much less child, what a dark life you have led these past few months. And yet, there is such hope for your future."_

_"What do you mean?"_

_"You have many obstacles in front of you Emily. Remember, every action you make has a consequence. And I will be watching to see what happens."_

_"Wait! Come back! Where are you going…"_


	4. Chapter 3

**Hello there! It's the Author. Terribly sorry for the delay. School takes priority. However, reviewing encourages me to keep writing, so make sure you do that! **

**Also, the romance will take a while to come. Sorry about that. -K**

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><p>Chapter 3, Part 1: A City in Ruins<p>

Emily groaned as she woke up. That voice again had spoken to her after she'd passed out from the emotional exhaustion of the coronation. It was dark and hollow. It felt like touching metal after a frigid rain. It had echoed through her sleep with the emptiness of… of a void. No One didn't even seem man or woman this time. It was a huge, empty noise that somehow formed words, and called to her through sleep.

No One knew a lot that he wouldn't tell her. He knew Corvo, he knew about the coronation, he knew what had happened and why the ceremony had been cut short.

Emily needed to find some way to pin No One down, so that he would answer her questions. Like why she couldn't remember his face the moment she woke up.

She felt certain that No One had a face. But the details slipped away the more she tried to focus on them.

Emily groaned in frustration, and flopped over in bed. But it was hot. Far too hot. She could hear the fire the maid had started crackling heartily in the fireplace, and the comforter had finally dried and warmed her as she'd slept. All in all, Emily desperately wanted a glass of water. She also was torn between the desire to rip off the blankets and to snuggle deeper down into them.

Darn it, she was thirsty. Too thirsty to enjoy the softness of the sheets. She inched slowly closer to the edge of the bed, and to the bellrope that would call a maid to bring her water. But her body didn't seem willing to cooperate. Moving an inch took her breath away, and her eyes were to heavy to see where she was going.

Emily cracked an eye open and groaned. The bellrope was still well over a feet away. More effort would be needed if she was going to have a maid bring her water.

Despite the fact her head felt like lead, she lifted it and looked sleepily at the rope, then looked at the side table next to the bed.

And there was a pitcher full of water and a glass sitting right there! A maid must have brought it while she slept.

That still left the matter of actually getting to the edge of the bed. Emily just didn't have the energy to get there. Her eyes closed, she gave a gentle huff. Then she groaned again and shoved her torso off the bed. She scooted out from under the comforter and crawled over to the edge of the bed. She lifted the pitcher and poured a glass of water. The pitcher wobbled in her exhausted hands and spilled. Emily set the pitcher back down, drank her water, then used one of the numerous pillows to sop up the water that had spilled over the side table.

Her task complete and her energy burned up, Emily promptly fell back onto the mattress and dozed off. As she dozed, she thought she heard the gentle clicks of a door opening and closing. The next thing that happened, Emily was waking up, the sensation of just waking from heavy slumber.

She still felt rather drowsy, but this was now caused by oversleeping. She forced herself up and out of bed, and clapped her hands to her cheeks to try and hurry along the waking process.

Emily looked back to the side table, and groaned in disappointment. When she'd spilled the water earlier, she'd spilled it onto the bedclothes the maid had brought, and she could still see dark water stains on the fabric.

Emily gave the bellrope a strong tug, and then curled into a plush chair in front of the fire while she waited for a servant to answer the summons.

Ash she waited, Emily stared into the heart of the flames. Beyond the mystery that was No One, there were other matters that she knew she had to think about now that she was Empress. She knew about the plague; had seen it close and personally in the Golden Cat. She had screamed every time a rat had managed to wriggle its way into her room.

There hadn't been that many rats in the Hound Pits. Callista and that quiet young woman who stared longingly at Piero and Pendleton's manservant had made sure there were no rats anywhere to be found in the bar or in her tower. That had been nice.

But the rest of Dunwall was not so lucky. She knew the city was sick, at least a quarter of the population was dead or a Weeper. She'd heard that over the com speakers during the six months she'd spent at the Golden Cat. Dunwall needed a cure – Sokolov had made fair strides in making a vaccine, but they needed something that could bring back those who wandered alleys with blood running from their eyes.

She also knew that Piero also had a formula that helped against the plague – she'd seen him give Corvo vials of the shimmering blue fluid before Corvo would leave to complete some task given to him by Havelock.

But the two natural philosophers had gone into hiding after Corvo had departed for the light tower to save her from Havelock. Samuel and Corvo had spent a day scouring various parts of the city, but no sign of either men had been discovered yet. Without them, there seemed small hope of staving off the plague's rampage.

What could she do? She was just a little girl. She wasn't ready to be Empress… She couldn't…

"Lady Emily?" Emily looked up and saw the maid Liz enter the room.

"Yes, hi. Um, I spilled water on the bedclothes the other maid brought me. Could you please bring me something to wear?" Emily asked.

"Of course, my Lady. I'll be back momentarily with a dry outfit for you to wear." Liz said with a bow. Before Liz left the room, Emily remembered something and called out to her,

"Wait! What time is it?" Liz paused and turned around to address Emily.

"It is a quarter after 10 in the morning, the day after your coronation, my Lady. Now, if you'll kindly excuse me, I'll be right back." Liz bowed again, and left. Emily leaned back in the chair, stunned. A quarter after 10? The day after her coronation? Heavens!

It made sense though. She'd slept fretfully the night before the coronation, No One's voice doing nothing to help her rest. Then she'd been woken at five to finish the alterations on her coronation gown, be dressed, and have her face painted. Then that frightful ordeal that'd had Corvo locking her in the bedroom after the coronation. She'd honestly been worn out.

But that did remind her that she'd fallen asleep with her face painted. She reached up and touched her lips, but when she examined her lips, there was no rouge on her fingertips. Perhaps a maid had come in and washed her face while she slept. Emily certainly hoped that if she were to examine her pillows that she wouldn't find powder and rouge all over the fine fabric.

There was a knock at the door and then Liz came in with a set of white pants and a white blouse over one arm. Emily stared at Liz; something about the woman seemed familiar.

Liz quirked an eyebrow as she gestured for Emily to step into a pair of underwear.

"Is everything alright, Lady Emily?" Liz asked distantly. Emily blinked, and realized she'd been frowning as she'd examined the maid.

"Oh. Um, how long have you been at the Tower, Liz? I don't remember you working here before… mother… but you seem familiar."

Liz didn't look up as she struggled with a button on Emily's blouse.

"I don't imagine how you'd recognize me. I only started about two months ago. Mr. Burrows needed new maids before he was sent to Coldridge, and for whatever reason, I was retained here when you were finally found and returned to the Tower." Liz stated as she held out Emily's small jacket. "It's beyond me, really," Liz continued as she tied the collar of the jacket. "I'd have thought that Lord Corvo would have insisted all servants that had served Mr. Burrows be removed from their posts and new servants hired. But all of us have stayed. Not that I'll complain." Liz finished as she buckled Emily's shoes. Standing up, she started to leave.

"Lord Corvo asked to be notified when you had awoken. He'll be in shortly. "Liz said then bowed to take her leave.

Emily nodded, acknowledging Liz's departure. As the door shut, Emily turned back to the fire. She was almost certain she'd seen Liz before she'd returned to the Tower. But where?

"Lady Emily?" Corvo didn't knock. He just walked in. He looked tired. Had he been up all night?

"What's going on Corvo?" Emily asked. Corvo stood before her at attention. He didn't take a seat, even though there was a very nice chair right next to him. Had he always been this tense when mother was alive?

"Some people from outside the city tried to stop your coronation. They blame your mother for the plague, and fear that you, as her child, will suffer from her failure as well, and the plague will travel throughout the empire." Corvo certainly didn't mince words. Of course, he'd always been like that with mother. A tutor had once told her that Royal Protectors had the liberty of being blunt whereas advisors and diplomats did not.

Emily wasn't sure how to respond to this news. She remembered the day mother died, and Corvo had brought the news that no one would help them find a cure. No one would send food to feed the homeless wandering the streets, no one would let their natural philosophers leave their hometowns to study. She remembered how sad and frustrated mother had been.

And what could she do? She was a child. How could she find a cure? How could she tell others that she would be a good Empress?

"Lady Emily?" Corvo's voice broke Emily's thoughts.

"Corvo, what should I do?" She asked desperately. Corvo sighed, and began to pace before her.

"With Piero and Sokolov gone, our only hope is that the academy of natural philosophy has been researching the plague." Emily frowned.

"Mother said they were a lot of cowards and stuck up pricks." Corvo looked at her, horrified at her language. But he didn't tell her to mind her tongue, surprisingly.

"They have resources. And Sokolov left notes behind, in his penthouse. With those, it could be possible to at very least produce a vaccine. And if the natural philosophers would open their doors, they could use Sokolov's notes to expand on the original recipe to create a cure for the weepers." Corvo said.

But there was also the matter of the people who'd tried to stop the coronation.

"What about the people at the coronation?" Emily asked. Corvo took a deep breath.

"I don't know their identities. Yet. But I'll find them, Emily." Corvo promised. Emily nodded.

"Good. And when you find them, kill them."


End file.
